Gorillaz replace U2 at Glastonbury

London: Virtual band Gorillaz will replace U2 at the Glastonbury music festival next month. U2, who were to headline the festival, were forced to pull out from the event and the next leg of their world tour after frontman Bono was admitted to hospital for an emergency back surgery recently, Daily Express reported.

Earlier reporters had suggested that Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones or AC/DC were likely to replace U2 but the coveted slot finally went to Gorillaz. Festival organiser Michael Eavis announced Albarn will be returning to the famed Pyramid Stage with Gorillaz a year after he performed there with his reformed band Blur in 2009. "It`ll be a massive audio visual spectacle which will really ignite the Pyramid Stage on the Friday night, with Muse, then Stevie Wonder to follow (on Saturday and Sunday respectively)," Eavis said. Gorillaz have already headlined California`s Coachella festival in April and will head to Spain`s Benicassim on 18 July. The band, which was formed in 1998, is known as "virtual band" because instead of displaying the musicians of the band, it uses a group of comic book characters. PTI